G7:People and the biosphere Flashcards
What are temperature and sunshine intensity controlled by?
Latitude
What is the temperature like near the equator? This means the climate is ______seasonal
the sun is more intense and is at a high angle all year, thus the climate is not seasonal (constant)
What is the temperature like towards the poles? This means the climate is ______ seasonal
winter is longer and colder: the climate is more seasonal
Why is plant growth limited in polar areas?
sunshine intensity is low
What is precipitation influenced by?
Latitude
What does climate effect that determines the characteristics of a biome?
The growth of plants
How does temperature affect the growth of plants?
It determines the length of growing season
How does precipitation affect the growth of plants?
Precipitation provides water
How do sunshine hours affect the growth of plants?
Sunshine hours affect photosynthesis
List all biomes in order
Tundra, Taiga, Temperate, Mediterranean, Desert, Rainforest, Savanna
What does the acidity/alkalinity of soil influence?
the different types of plants that will grow
What do rocks release into the soil? Why?
Rocks release nutrients and chemicals into the soil due to chemical weathering
What does soil type depend on?
depends on rocks type: soil can be acidic, neutral or alkaline
What three factors affect the wetness of the soil?
- amount of precipitation
- amount of evaporation
- permeability of the soil
What happens to rainfall and temperature as altitude increases?
Temperature decreases and precipitation increases
What pattern is formed due to the differences in temperature and rainfall?
altitudinal zonation
What are biomes estimated to be worth?
US$4-6trilllion
List the 4 services provided by a biome
Provisioning, Supporting, Regulating, Cultural
What are provisioning services?
Products obtained from the ecosystem
How do regulating services keep areas and the planet healthy?
-storing carbon and emitting oxygen
-purifying water and regulating the flow of water in the hydrological cycle
What do supporting services do?
They keep the biome healthy
What are cultural services?
Benefits people get from visiting or living in a healthy ecosystem
What are some examples of cultural services provided by a healthy ecosystem?
-recreation and tourism
-education and science
-spiritual well-being and happiness
Who profits from commercial exploitation of biomes?
TNCs, jobs and income
What are large areas of biomes cleared for?
commercial farming, mining for metal ores, timber construction of dams for HEP and water supply
What are the consequences of biomes not growing back once cleared for commercial exploitation?
they cannot store carbon, prevent flooding or provide recreation, ecosystem services are destroyed
How many Efe people depend on the rainforest?
30,000
What do indigenous people depend on the forest for?
-wood for housing & cooking fires
- food
- hog for selling
- wild honey for medicine
- faith
How much carbon is stored by biomes and in what form?
120 billion tonnes of Carbon is locked up in biotic material
What is the process of locking up carbon called? It works through ________
Carbon sequestration works through photosynthesis
Biomes store carbon as _____
biomass
How is the soil a carbon sink?
when plants and animals die, the dead biomass ends up in the soil
How is soil fertility (health) maintained in a biome?
By the nutrient cycle
How can the nutrient cycle be disrupted?
- removing biomass takes away nutrient stores
- heavy rain can wash litter away
- deforested areas at rick form soil erosion
What is the effect of destroying forest biomes on soil?
interception is reduced and soil is eroded
What is the consequence of a reduced amount of infiltration?
Groundwater supplies become low
